Original Text
Chang Tiyuan, styled Ruyu, was a native of Hejin County in Shanxi. While still a xiucai, he dreamed that someone called him "the Grandee of Five Rams." Upon waking, Chang was overjoyed, believing this to be an auspicious omen for his official career. Later, during a rebellion of roving bandits, Chang was captured, stripped naked, and locked in an empty room. It was the depths of winter, bitterly cold; groping in the darkness, he found several sheepskins to wrap around himself, thus escaping death by freezing. At dawn, rising to examine the pelts covering him, he saw they were exactly five in number. Chang could not help but laugh silently, realizing that the gods were playing a jest on him. Subsequently, by virtue of being a tribute student, he was appointed magistrate of Luonan County. This tale was recorded by Mr. Bi Zaiqi.
Commentary
This tale reflects the opportunistic mindset of scholars in the imperial examination era, who were fervently obsessed with seeking fame and fortune.
The same title and content are also recorded in Wang Yuyang's "Chibei Ouyi: Tan Yi Qi": "A man named Chang Tiyuan from Hejin, when young, dreamed that a divine being called him 'the Grandee of Five Rams,' and he thought highly of himself. During the chaos of the bandit uprising, Tiyuan was captured by the rebels and imprisoned in a room. On a bitterly cold winter night, he found five ram skins in a corner of the wall to cover himself, and then realized that the divine words were merely a jest. Later, through the Mingjing examination, he served as the magistrate of Luonan County." However, this account is somewhat brief, lacking the vividness and detail of Pu Songling and Bi Zai Ji's records. Comparing "found five ram skins in a corner of the wall to cover himself" with "groping in the dark, he obtained several sheepskins to protect his body, barely escaping death. At dawn, he looked and saw that the number exactly matched five," the difference is clear.